Reigning All-Region 23 wide receiver Leon Berry racked up 190 all-purpose yards with three catches for 48 yards and four kickoff returns for 142 yards in EMCC’s 28-9 season-opening home win over Copiah-Lincoln.

SCOOBA, Miss. – Beginning a stretch of three consecutive road contests, the Lions of East Mississippi Community College (1-0) travel to Ellisville to take on the 11^th-ranked Jones County Junior College Bobcats (1-0) Saturday evening.  Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Bobcat Stadium/Sim Cooley Field.

            Saturday’s EMCC-JCJC contest will not be carried by WFCA-FM (107.9), though the game can be heard on WGDQ-FM (93.1) out of Hattiesburg and via broadcast on www.jcjc.edu.

            The 1-0 Lions ushered in the Buddy Stephens era of EMCC football with a 28-9 home triumph over Copiah-Lincoln on Aug. 28.  The victory marked East Mississippi’s first win in a season opener since the 2001 campaign.  Following a scoreless first half of play that produced just one first down, the Lions rallied for four second-half touchdowns a week ago to post their first series win over Co-Lin since 1993.

            Offensively for EMCC last week, freshman quarterback Randall Mackey accounted for 245 yards of total offense and three touchdowns in his collegiate debut.  The 2007 Parade All-American from Bastrop (La.) High School was 13-of-24 through the air for 207 yards, including scoring strikes of 60 and 22 yards, while also picking up 38 yards on the ground, including a 21-yard scoring run, in five carries.  Five Lions were on the receiving end of Mackey aerials in the Co-Lin contest, highlighted by Mike Outlaw’s five receptions for 69 yards.  Reigning All-Region 23 wide receiver Leon Berry and fellow sophomore Montrez Mosley both hauled in three passes for EMCC in the opener.  On the ground, the Lions were led by freshman running back Pat Shed of Starkville with a game-high 90 rushing yards on 12 attempts, including a 55-yard touchdown run.

            On the defensive side of the ball, sophomore strong safety Alex Hill of West Point collected Region 23/MACJC Defensive Player of the Week honors to begin the season after picking off two Co-Lin passes, along with being credited with six total tackles and a two pass breakups.  Five Lion defenders accounted for nine or more tackles in the opener, paced by freshman linebacker Donnelli Johnson’s game-high 14 tackles.  Leslie Stirrups, Claude Davis, Jamar Hornsby and Kenneth Roby were all credited with nine total tackles apiece.

            Guided by head coach Eddie Pierce, Jones County is 1-0 on the young season after claiming a convincing 38-7 home win over 20^th-ranked Itawamba a week ago.  Rated seventh nationally in the NJCAA/JCFootball.com Preseason Top 25, the Bobcats are currently ranked 11^th in the JC Grid-Wire/JCFootball.com Top 25.

            The Lions will be going for their second straight upset victory over a ranked opponent Saturday in Ellisville, as former EMCC coach Roger Carr’s 2007 squad capped last year’s 4-5 campaign with a 31-28 overtime road triumph over then-No. 12 Itawamba in Fulton.

            Following a short week of game preparation, East Mississippi will turn right around to hit the road again by venturing to Goodman to meet Holmes Community College Thursday (Sept. 11) for a 7 p.m. contest at Ras Branch Field.

Alex Hill

            A product of West Point High School, Hill intercepted a pair of Co-Lin passes in the second half of EMCC’s season opener at Sullivan-Windham Field.  His second pick of the game, coming with 3:50 left in the game, all but clinched the Lions’ first victory in a season-opening contest since 2001.  In addition to his 50 yards of interception return yardage against the Wolves, Hill was credited with six total tackles, including one tackle for loss, and two pass breakups. 

            Following four consecutive series losses to Copiah-Lincoln dating back to the 2000 campaign, last week’s 19-point triumph over the Wolves marked East Mississippi’s first gridiron win over Co-Lin since 1993.

            Also earning Region 23/MACJC individual honors during the opening week of the 2008 football season were Coahoma quarterback Marvin Pittman on offense and Pearl River’s Rashod Henry for special teams. 

            Coach Buddy Stephens’ 1-0 EMCC Lions travel to Ellisville this weekend to take on the nationally ranked Bobcats of Jones County Junior College Saturday evening.  Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Bobcat Stadium/Sim Cooley Field.  Saturday’s game at Jones County will mark the first of three consecutive road contests for East Mississippi.  

Freshman quarterback Randall Mackey threw for a pair of touchdowns and run for another score to lead the EMCC Lions to a 28-9 season-opening home win over Copiah-Lincoln Thursday in Buddy Stephens’ coaching debut.

            SCOOBA, Miss. – The Lions of East Mississippi Community College ushered in the Buddy Stephens era on a positive note by tallying four second-half touchdowns to down visiting Copiah-Lincoln, 28-9, in their season opener at Sullivan-Windham Field.

            The only scoring in the opening half of play came on a 7-yard touchdown run by Co-Lin’s Ronnie McNulty at the 7:53 mark of the first period.  Tyler Fitzgerald failed to connect on the PAT to give the visiting Wolves a 6-0 halftime advantage.

            The Lions got their offense on track with help from 2008 Parade All-American quarterback Randall Mackey, who put the home team on the scoreboard for the first time with 12:08 remaining in the third quarter by hitting sophomore Wayne Bonner of Milledgeville, Ga., with a 60-yard scoring aerial.  Co-Lin briefly reclaimed the lead with a 31-yard field goal by Fitzgerald at the 7:40 mark.  A little more than a minute later, Mackey, a freshman signal-caller from Bastrop (La.) High School, found the end zone again by connecting with Meridian’s Montrez Mosley on a 22-yard scoring strike to put the Lions in front for good, 14-9.

            EMCC benefitted from the running game during the final period, as Starkville’s Pat Shed darted 55 yards for a score with 10:03 remaining.  A successful Mackey-to-Mosley, two-point conversion gave the Lions a 22-9 cushion.  Sophomore strong safety Alex Hill of West Point all but sealed EMCC’s first win in a season-opening contest since 2001 by picking off his second interception with 3:50 left on the game clock.  Mackey capped his collegiate debut and gave the Lions their first triumph over Copiah-Lincoln since 1993 by scampering 21 yards to the end zone at the 2:10 mark.    

Defensively, the Lions had three interceptions on the evening, with Starkville’s Anthony Hines picking off an errant pass with time running out in the contest.

            East Mississippi (1-0) will be on the road for the next three games, beginning with the team’s Sept. 6 contest at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville. 

PRESS RELEASE: Aug. 27, 2008

            SCOOBA, Miss. – The Buddy Stephens era of East Mississippi Community College football kicks off Thursday evening, as the Lions play host to Copiah-Lincoln Community College in their 2008 season opener.  Game time is set for 7 p.m. at EMCC’s Sullivan-Windham Field.

            Thursday’s contest, as will at least five other EMCC football contests this season, can be heard on WFCA-FM (107.9) – the Voice of French Camp Academy – with Brett Bouchillon and Glen Barlow handling the play-by-play duties and color commentary, respectively.  The 100,000-watt station can be heard in 28 Mississippi counties.  Lion football broadcasts can also be heard via audio streaming on EMCC’s athletics website - www.athletics.eastms.edu.

            Stephens takes over the EMCC program after spending the past seven years as an assistant coach at Pearl River Community College in Poplarville.  Most recently as PRCC’s co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, Stephens helped guide the Wildcats to a seven-year composite record of 60-12 (.833), including a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) championship in 2004 and four consecutive Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) and four straight top five national finishes (2003-06).

            Bidding for their first winning season on the gridiron since 1998, the Lions are coming off a 4-5 campaign a year ago under former head coach Roger Carr.  With a 4-2 division mark and third-place finish in the North Division, EMCC capped the 2007 season with a 31-28 overtime road victory over nationally ranked and North Division champion Itawamba Community College.

            Headlining this year’s East Mississippi Community College club are six former NCAA Division I signees plus returning All-Region 23 wide receiver Leon Berry of Griffin, Ga.  Also on offense, the Lions will feature freshman quarterback Randall Mackey, a former Ole Miss signee who was a Parade All-American a year ago after leading Bastrop (La.) High School to a third consecutive Class 4A state championship.  On the defensive side of the ball, EMCC will showcase former University of Florida defensive back Jamar Hornsby, along with a pair of former University of Alabama signees – linebacker Devonta Bolton and defensive lineman Brandon Lewis – and two former University of South Florida signees – defensive linemen Leslie Stirrups and Claude Davis.

            Following their season opener at home, the Lions will be on the road for the next three games, beginning with their Sept. 6 contest at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville.